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Help These Athletes Get to Kona

Thanks to more than a quarter of a million views and a surge of votes, Dean Bullock (pictured above) and Naomi Cermak have earned a spot at the start line of the IRONMAN World Championship in Kailua-Kona, Hawaii in October. Congratulations to you both!

Bullock, who is fighting brain cancer, just returned home after having surgery last week. A three-time IRONMAN finisher and five-time Boston Marathon qualifier, he recently finished IRONMAN 70.3 St. George. Diagnosed with stage IV melanoma, Cermak is equally as determined to prove that "Anything is Possible" by competing at the sport's most difficult one-day event. Stay tuned as we continue to follow their journey to Kona.

These athletes need your help—vote for your favorite from the next round of qualifiers! Click the links below to watch their videos or meet them all at KonaInspired.com.

Naval submarine officer Seth Hooper trains for IRONMAN while surrounded by millions of gallons of seawater on a deployed submarine. Several triathlete friends have told Hooper training would be impossible in his environment, but he wants to prove them wrong by setting a personal record at Kona.

With the help of her cousin, Win Charles dreams of being the first female team with cerebral palsy to complete the IRONMAN World Championship. Her passion for life and love of sports drives her desire to race at Kona and show the world that anyone with a disability can compete.

On the day of the 2012 IRONMAN World Championship, Kelly Miyahara’s friend and triathlon teammate, Marisela, was killed in a tragic cycling accident while training for her first IRONMAN. Competing in Kona would give Miyahara the opportunity to fulfill Marisela’s IRONMAN dream.

After a spinal injury in Maui, doctors told Casey Kammel he would never walk again, but through determination, he proved the doctors wrong and walked out of the hospital. IRONMAN Kona would bring his journey of triumph full circle as he inspires others to believe "failure is not an option."

Matt Willey’s triathlon program for the athletes of Special Olympics New Jersey continues to grow. Inspired every day by the members of his program, Willey hopes to encourage other triathletes to become involved in Special Olympics and be a role model for the athletes he works with.

Within one month, Logan Clifford found out his wife had cancer, the couple was expecting their first child and he was a match for a bone marrow donation. Now, training for an IRONMAN, Clifford works to raise funds and awareness to encourage others to register for bone marrow donation.

Currently deployed in Afghanistan, Jacob Fuka overcame childhood obesity and seizures to attend the United States Air Force Academy. Now a pilot and an IRONMAN, Fuka would use his experience at Kona to raise awareness of and combat the challenges of obesity on our national defense.

Lisa Hallett strives to finish at Kona in honor of her husband, an American soldier who was killed in Afghanistan. Running became a source of healing for Hallett and she co-founded wear blue: run to remember, a nonprofit that honors the service and sacrifice of the American military.

In 2012, Nicholas Tierney and his wife’s lives changed when they welcomed their four children into the world. Born at 29 weeks, his quadruplets spent over a month in the NICU and Tierney had to drop out of IRONMAN Wisconsin, but he still dreams of hearing his name at the finish line of IRONMAN races.

After Matthew Murphy’s son underwent three surgeries for a birth defect, he started Shawn’s Anomaly, a nonprofit that helps families affected by congenital anomalies. Murphy changed his lifestyle to become Shawn’s IRONMAN and hopes to cross his journey’s finish line at Kona.

As a 5’2" high fashion model, Mariya Hristova strives to show the world that modeling isn’t just about height and weight, but power of the body and mind. If chosen, Hristova would use the opportunity to be an ambassador for change in the modeling industry and what it means to be beautiful.

Triathlete Ted Freedman has given the gift of athleticism to countless children as a PE teacher in New Mexico. Between his lobbying to get state funding for public school PE programs and creating a race for kids, Freedman has encouraged generations of runners and triathletes to be all they can be.

After miraculously surviving a grizzly bear attack, Michael Dunn’s small steps to recovery eventually turned into marathons and an ultra-marathon. Dunn beat the odds again when he finished IRONMAN St. George after being hit by a car during training. Now he hopes to realize his dream of finishing in Kona.

Michael Conway is a cancer survivor as well as the founder and director of a camp for kids with Tourette Syndrome, a disorder he suffers himself. Conway seeks to finish IRONMAN Kona to inspire children with disorders and diseases and show them anything truly is possible.

A year ago, Clarissa Alba was diagnosed with stage 4 breast cancer, but has refused to let it stop her from enjoying exercising and participating in races. Alba started to notice others joining her to exercise, even if just a walk, as they were inspired by her journey and she hopes to continue being a role model.